It's Not the Nicotine
by JameLessThanThreeSeddie
Summary: "It really was a disgusting habit; they'd both agreed on that much." Sam and Freddie sneak off to smoke when they get headaches and the shakes. But the nicotine wasn't the problem. Not really. Seddie!


** Hey, Guys! A cute new little seddie story for all of you! I know that smoking is bad! So do Sam and Freddie. Its just that I though that it would be a really interesting plot line. I actually thought of this while learning the dangers of smoking in heath class. haha. So enjoy! Oh, and you guys should check out my other one shot The Fire Escape! :)**

**Ps, I don't own iCarly!**

It really was a disgusting habit; they'd both agreed on that much. But that didn't mean they didn't enjoy their secret rendezvous. Freddie picked it up to rebel against his insane mother. And Sam, well, she picked it up from Freddie. They didn't tell Carly. She'd ojust over react and make them take some sort of addiction classes. Addiction classes weren't necessary. They wouldn't help, because they only focus on the nicotine addiction, and that wasn't the problem. Not really.

Now, don't get the wrong idea, they were both addicted to smoking, but not necessarily the actual cigarette. The real addiction, the one the scared them both, was to each other. They never smoked alone, because they never craved it. Sam's hands would start shaking during study hall while she sat next to Freddie, even when they had just smoked last period during lunch; they never shook the days Freddie was sick when they haven't smoked since the night before. She never even touched a cigarette when Freddie went to North Dakota for his robotics competition. Freddie would get his severe headaches after iCarly rehersal standing next to Sam, even when they had smoked right before rehersal; he never got headaches when he wasn't with Sam. He didn't even crave a cigarette when he was in North Dakota.

Freddie would look at Sam's shaking hands; Sam would look at Freddie holding his hands; they would both nod, make some half assed excuse to Carly, and head outside. Carly was clueless. She never questioned them. She never asked why they were going to "run to the Groovy Smoothie", "do something for Mrs. Benson", or "go get Freddie's notes to lend to Sam" without her. She just accepted it. However, Carly actually wasn't as clueless as they thought. She decided to bring it up to Sam while Freddie was finishing up his homework in his appartment.

"What did you do that for?" Sam asked as Carly paused the tv.

"I just needed to ask you about something."

Sam rolled her eyes, "So Ask!"

"Its... about you and Freddie." Sam's eyes got big as she tried to remain nonchalant.

"...What about me and Freddie?"

"I know what's going on between you guys."

Sam started talking a mile a minute, "Carls, I can explain. We can explain. We know it's terrible! I know! I don't need a lecture! I-I-I just-"

Carly smile sympatheically and cut her off, "Sam, it's okay that you and Freddie like each other."

A relief look crossed Sam's face. Carly really didn't know what she was talking about. Untill Sam realized that Carly did know what she was talking about, it just wasn't what Sam thought. Sam and Freddie both knew they didn't like each other, they loved each other.

"Carls, I just-"

"It's okay, Sam. I know that you didn't mean to keep secrets. I'm not mad. I'm just trying to understand this new chapter in our lives!"

Sam chuckled, "I don't know if I'd call it a new chapter-"

"It's a new chapter!" Carly interupted, "So, you aren't denying it? You and Freddie are dating?"

"I wouldn't say we're dating. We've haven't kissed and nothing's official, but the dork and I both know how we feel."

"This is so exciting!" Carly smiled. Then she frowned, "But please don't tell Spencer. I don't want to owe him fifty dollars."

Sam furrowed her eye brows, "Why would you-You bet on me, Shay?!"

Carly grimaced, "Spencer was so sure. He made me."

"You're lucky I like you, cupcake."

It was easy after that. The next time they went out to smoke when they were hangign out that evening, Carly just gave Sam a knowing smile. She thought that they were just taking a walk together when they said they were running errands for Freddie's mom. Really, they were standing a few blocks down, so no one they knew would catch them, smoking.

Freddie took a puff of his Malbro and handed it to Sam as he sat on the steps.

Sam took a long drag, "I told Carly."

Freddie jumped up,"Really? Did she flip? Is she making us go to one of those classes? I don-"

"Calm down and take a drag, nub," Sam rolled her eyes, handing him the cigarett, "I didn't mean our disgusting vice. I meant the other thing."

A look of realization crossed Freddie's face, "Oh, how did she take it?"

"Really well actually," Sam said as she grabbed back the Malbro, "She was really excited about this, and I quote, new chapter in our lives."

Freddie laughed. They stood smoking in silence. They shared finished their Malbro before they spoke again.

"So, what does this mean?" Freddie asking, lighting up one of Sam's Camels.

"What do you mean?" She knew exactly what he meant.

"You know."

She sighed, "It's scary."

Freddie looked at his cigarette and held it out to Sam, "You need the first drag more than I do."

Sam closed her eyes and took a drag. she was quiet.

Freddie sighed, "Do you want to be with me?"

"I want to keep doing this. I want to smoke with you, and share stories, and make fun of you, and flirt with the nubbiest kid in the world with out worring about that." Sam looked anywhere but his face.

"Sam, we can't keep this up forever. Soon, the nicotine will also become an addiction. That was never what this was for. We don't want to get above our heads."

"You know that we can't stop now, Fredlumps."

"We can't stop if we go back to the way we can stop the smoking. We both know that. That's not what this is really about. It's disgusting, nasty, horrible. We both agree with that much. It's not supposed to be a permanent thing. It was to figure out us. I think we've made it that far."

"We've known for weeks! What's different now?" Sam took a drag and handed it to Freddie who followed suit.

"Carly. You know that's what we've been waiting for. How's Carls going to react? She's okay with us, Sam!"

Sam light another Malbro as Freddie stepped on their Camel.

"That's not all this is about! Sure, Carly was a huge part, but there's more!"

"Sam, I know it's scary to subect yourself to this but I would never hurt you! I thought we've established that."

Sam looked at the ground, "Not intentionally."

"Sam, We have two options. Option one, we never try it. We spend our lives wondering about what might have been. We won't be able to quite smoking. The nicotine addiction will replace the addiction to each other, and we die of lung cancer. You know all of the nasty things that happen. I know you do. We are in the same health class. Option two, we try it. We won't live happily ever after. We'll make mistakes. We'll fight. We'll probably break up and get back together several times. We'll break each other's hearts, but we'll mend them. It will be crazy, irritating, and frusterating. We'll question if it's worth it, and it always will be. A life a dysfunction together is better than a perfect life apart. Oh, and in a few years, our lungs should be back to normal."

Sam smiled a little bit, "But what if it doesn't work."

"Then at least we tried and we don't have lung cancer."

Sam chuckled at that, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. We can do it."

Freddie hugged her. He took one last drag and dropped the cigarette in the ash tray, "We don't need this anymore."

"I guess we don't."

They threw away the boxes of cigaretts Sam keep in her purse; she always keep them incase Freddie's mom got snoopy because while they were eighteen and not breaking any laws, Mrs. Benson still would have flipped a lid if she knew that her little Freddie was smoking. The addiction wasn't over, not in the slightest, but they didn't need cigarettes to express their addiction anymore. They could use each other.

They walked back to Carly's holding hands. They dropped them when they got to Bushwell Plaza. They didn't tell Carly about their new relationship; that was for tomorrow. It was a long movie and by the time it was over, Sam's hands were shaking and Freddie was holding his head. They made an excuse to leave.

"I knew this wouldn't work," Sam said, "We're in too deep already."

Freddie shook his head, "Here."

Freddie dug through his pockets and pulled out a pack of nicotine gum. Sam just stared at it.

"I thought the nicotine wasn't the problem."

Freddie sighed, "I guess I should say that it isn't the main problem. This will help, Sam."

Sam just sighed and took the gum.

"Talk to me," Freddie told her.

They talked about random stuff for a minute untill Freddie was silent.

"What are you thinking?" Sam asked.

"Just that maybe it would help if-"

"If we kissed?"

Freddie nodded, "Are you going to break my arm now?"

"No," Sam shook her head, "It might be a good idea. My shakes are starting to get less violent, but they are still here."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"Should we do it now?"

Sam rolled her eyes and punched him hard in the arm.

"OW!" Freddie exclaimed.

"Stop being a freaking nub, Freducation, and kiss me or else I'm going to end up with lung cancer."

Freddie took a deep breath and leaned in to kiss her. The kiss lasted a few seconds untill they pulled away to stare at each other.

"Should we do it again?" Freddie asked. This time Sam just rolled her eyes and connected their lips. The kiss lasted a long time.

It got better after that. They told Carly that they were dating. She was happy for them, but pissed that Spencer got her twenty dollars. They never smoked again. At first, Sam's hands would shake and Freddie's head would ache and they'd pop in their gum and run off to go make up somewhere. Soon, they could just stay there, pop in gum, and share a chaste kiss. Next, they'd just have to connect hands. Sam got off the gum faster than Freddie. She hadn't been smoking as long, After a half a year, the shakes and aches were gone.

Carly was estatic. She was so happy she's spoken up when she did. She wasn't as clueless as everyone thought. She's found the cigarettes in Sam's purse. They'd run off together and come back smelling like an ash tray. Carly Shay could be a little out of it, but she wasn't completely brain dead. She knew it wasn't the nicotine. Not really. Sam didn't smoke the whole time he was gone. She never ran off. She never smelt like smoke. Freddie would never make excuses to leave when Sam was skipping school, or if Sam couldn't hang out with them. Carly Shay is much smarter than people give her credit for. She knew the only way to rid them of the habit, was to convince them to give into the real addiction, their love.

She was a little disappointed at first. They said that they were together, but they still made excuses to run off. She thought her plan had failed and she really was going to have to make them go to addiction classes. However, she eventually realized that they didn't come back smelling like smoke, only mint gum. Soon, they stopped running off, but Carly noticed the gum. As she would watch them share a quick peck on the mouth, and get a whiff of mint, she'd think to herself that love smelt a lot like nicotine gum.

**Review, because they are like beautiful songs in my heart. haha, I'm cheesy. :p**


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